Hans Zimmer: Video Games Are Art

You might not believe a pasty-faced gamer when he insists that video games are art. Not that this proves anything either way, but Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer also feels that games have become a legitimate art form.

"Absolutely, that we can't even question anymore," said Zimmer when asked the question by USA Today. "When movies first came out, maybe they were in black and white and there wasn't any sound and people were saying the theater is still the place to be. But now movies and theater have found their own place in the world. They are each legitimate art forms."

Part of the reason Zimmer feels this way seems to be rooted in his music background. One of the arguments against video games being art is that they're interactive and therefore the author doesn't have complete control. However, music is an established art form and like games it also requires a 'player'. "As a musician, we play all our lives, so the idea of playing something and being involved in something is actually quite powerful to a musician. The participation is the thing."

Zimmer's composed music for over a 100 films and this year he's branched into gaming. He composed music for Modern Warfare 2, set to be released on November 10th.